Dear Elders and Sisters,
We are looking forward to our meetings with you this week. We are excited to have Elder and Sister Pratt of the Asia Area Presidency with us on the Mission Tour. They have lived faithful lives entirely dedicated to church service. I am sure they can teach us many things.
We recently reviewed the goals and plans of the Asia Area Presidency. I was very interested to hear what these inspired general authorities felt was most important and where their goals were. In brief, they want to establish the church. Their areas of emphasis are as follows:
· Increase convert baptisms even though the number of missionaries in Asia are declining.
· Increase attendance at sacrament meeting.
· Rescue, reactivate less active members.
· Increase temple attendance.
· Increase active Melchizedek Priesthood holders.
This is a summary of those things I outlined in the long letter I sent to each of you last week, though I did not mention the part about priesthood holders. I know that the Area Presidency members are inspired from the Lord. When I saw how closely aligned my feelings and written expectations are with their goals, I felt that we are all receiving inspiration from the Lord to guide this mission.
The Area Presidency also asked that we encourage all members and investigators to enjoy a conference weekend. Some think conference is a time to watch a session or two but do not watch all 4 or 5 sessions. We hope you will stress to all members and investigators that this is when we hear the council of the living prophet. It does us no good to have living prophets and apostles if we ignore them. There is great power in meeting with the saints. We should read and study the messages when they are published. But watching them with other members is an especially powerful experience. All priesthood holders should be able to feel a part of the great body of priesthood. We should join together with the millions of members around the world to raise our arms and our hearts to sustain our leaders.
Please encourage all to plan now to spend the second weekend in October, Saturday and Sunday, watching conference. Especially encourage all brethren ages 12 and older to attend general priesthood on Saturday evening. Testimonies will be strengthened, commitment to the kingdom will be increased, revelation will be received, lives will be blessed, and the church will be established in greater degree. Discuss in your weekly planning sessions how you are going to get people to conference.
It is great to be serving with you. I we will have spiritual feasts this week.
Faithfully, your brother
President Clark Bishop
Mission Dates
December 10, 2008 - December 10, 2010
September 5, 2010 - President Bishop's Letter
Dear Elders and Sisters,
Thank you for a wonderful month of August! Through the blessings of the Lord and your diligent efforts 146 souls became Latter-Day Saints! Many lives will be blessed. We also had a record one week of 600 lessons with members present. This happens when you set goals and make plans to have members with you. It only happens when you make it happen. Thank you for setting goals and making plans for each of the key indicators. Having lessons with members present helps the converts remain active.
With her permission, I will share a portion of a letter from one of our newer missionaries:
I realized a couple of interesting things this week. Since I've come on my mission I don't think I've ever felt the spirit as strong as I did at that youth activity. Which really made me wonder. Over time I have concluded that missionary work is great because it unites our individual purpose with Heavenly Father's purpose. Every day that we put on our tag we are committing to help heavenly father fulfill his purpose. We are engaged in a sacred and Godly work because we are the tools Heavenly Father is using to bring to pass the eternal life of man. Sharing that with the youth was really special to me and it made me think what can I do to make sure everyone I talk to can feel that spirit and better understand our purpose. I have concluded that instead of investigators everyone we talk to is a future missionary. The missionary who found and baptized my mom years ago had no idea that 50 years later I would be a missionary, she had no idea that in my first move call I would help baptize six people. But I did, that is the vision I want to have for every single person I talk to.
The effect of the work you do in Taiwan will bless the church for generations. Even one baptism is a foundation for the future. Thank you for your hard work.
Now I need your help. I met with the mission Presidency this week. President Gao and President Yang are wonderful, faithful members who are very unselfish with their time to help serve. One of their main responsibilities is to perform second interviews when investigators have previously been involved with abortion. Presidents Gao and Yang have requested missionaries with investigators receiving second interviews do the following:
· Treat this interview as a great opportunity to meet a senior Mission Leader. This is not a failure, but a great privilege. Be positive and upbeat with the investigator. This is part of the wonderful process of repenting and preparing for baptism. Avoid whispered conversations, head shaking or actions which could make the investigator feel embarrassed or ashamed.
· Please have the investigator interviewed first by the district or zone leader to ensure that the investigator is fully prepared in every other way.
· Arrive early so you can open the church, explain the investigator’s situation to the mission presidency member, and make the introduction when the investigator arrives.
· Ask those being interviewed to dress in their Sunday best. For sisters, teach the principle of modest dress. One sister missionary who was thinking ahead brought a one of her own skirts for the investigator to cover her bare legs.
We have many people who need second interviews. This is because you wonderful missionaries are finding people who want the cleansing power of the atonement in their lives. Through baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, they become saints, fellow citizens of the household of God. Thank you for working with charity, kindness and diligence as you baptize to build the Kingdom of God here in Taiwan.
Faithfully your brother,
President Clark Bishop
Thank you for a wonderful month of August! Through the blessings of the Lord and your diligent efforts 146 souls became Latter-Day Saints! Many lives will be blessed. We also had a record one week of 600 lessons with members present. This happens when you set goals and make plans to have members with you. It only happens when you make it happen. Thank you for setting goals and making plans for each of the key indicators. Having lessons with members present helps the converts remain active.
With her permission, I will share a portion of a letter from one of our newer missionaries:
I realized a couple of interesting things this week. Since I've come on my mission I don't think I've ever felt the spirit as strong as I did at that youth activity. Which really made me wonder. Over time I have concluded that missionary work is great because it unites our individual purpose with Heavenly Father's purpose. Every day that we put on our tag we are committing to help heavenly father fulfill his purpose. We are engaged in a sacred and Godly work because we are the tools Heavenly Father is using to bring to pass the eternal life of man. Sharing that with the youth was really special to me and it made me think what can I do to make sure everyone I talk to can feel that spirit and better understand our purpose. I have concluded that instead of investigators everyone we talk to is a future missionary. The missionary who found and baptized my mom years ago had no idea that 50 years later I would be a missionary, she had no idea that in my first move call I would help baptize six people. But I did, that is the vision I want to have for every single person I talk to.
The effect of the work you do in Taiwan will bless the church for generations. Even one baptism is a foundation for the future. Thank you for your hard work.
Now I need your help. I met with the mission Presidency this week. President Gao and President Yang are wonderful, faithful members who are very unselfish with their time to help serve. One of their main responsibilities is to perform second interviews when investigators have previously been involved with abortion. Presidents Gao and Yang have requested missionaries with investigators receiving second interviews do the following:
· Treat this interview as a great opportunity to meet a senior Mission Leader. This is not a failure, but a great privilege. Be positive and upbeat with the investigator. This is part of the wonderful process of repenting and preparing for baptism. Avoid whispered conversations, head shaking or actions which could make the investigator feel embarrassed or ashamed.
· Please have the investigator interviewed first by the district or zone leader to ensure that the investigator is fully prepared in every other way.
· Arrive early so you can open the church, explain the investigator’s situation to the mission presidency member, and make the introduction when the investigator arrives.
· Ask those being interviewed to dress in their Sunday best. For sisters, teach the principle of modest dress. One sister missionary who was thinking ahead brought a one of her own skirts for the investigator to cover her bare legs.
We have many people who need second interviews. This is because you wonderful missionaries are finding people who want the cleansing power of the atonement in their lives. Through baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, they become saints, fellow citizens of the household of God. Thank you for working with charity, kindness and diligence as you baptize to build the Kingdom of God here in Taiwan.
Faithfully your brother,
President Clark Bishop
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